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The U.S. seeds giant has made a $45 bln approach to the Swiss pesticide firm. The target rejected this as too cheap and too risky. Syngenta has a point: there will be major political and antitrust hurdles. But it needs to lay out just how it will create more value on its own.

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The two banks nixed a biotech deal six days after it started trading. Their reasoning looks defensible – an insider reneged on buying a big chunk of shares. But the Wall Street firms’ willingness to sell the stock in the first place smacks of a return of top-of-the-market laxity.

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Global deal volume is up 63 pct this year, and Monday’s mergers hint at toppiness. Merck is justifying a 239 pct premium with optimistic revenue synergies. Tyson Foods is overpaying in its $8.5 bln sausage deal. And investors are still boosting buyers’ shares. They may regret it.

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Investors had an appetite for most any new issue until last week. Six of 10 offerings couldn’t fetch the desired price and six were yanked as fear again mingled with greed. A fresh crop of sellers, including Moelis and Weibo, may encounter a more rational market than expected.

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The U.S. and UK drug giants are teaming up in the $7 bln purchase of Amylin. Seven times estimated sales is a hefty price for a biotech whose main drugs face stiff potential competition. But Amylin’s focus on diabetes, a sadly expanding market, makes this a healthier endeavor.

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Genzyme is showing how it can pressure Sanofi-Aventis. The U.S. biotech takeover target moved to unload its genetic-testing arm to Laboratory Corp on Monday for $925 million. The more Genzyme can do to fix itself up, the more likely it can squeeze its French suitor to sweeten its $18.5 billion takeover bid. Firms in the sector, once in play, almost always sell. A higher bid seems likely.

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The $40 bln healthcare giant is separating its biotech and medical products units. Baxter’s spinoff history suggests this latest move will create value for shareholders. This, and the success of Pfizer’s and Abbott’s recent splits, will encourage other pharma giants to follow.

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